Confusion surrounds status of TBWA\Adelaide
TBWA has maintained its Adelaide office is operational, despite growing evidence to the contrary.
Launched in July 2018, TBWA\Adelaide was created to service the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) account. The then $4.95 million account was won by TBWA\Melbourne a couple months prior, over 35 other agencies including the incumbent, KWP, who held the account for 20 years.
The Melbourne branch’s account win caused a stir in the local market, and was labelled “an absolute disgrace” by Adelaide-based agencies. At the time, the Adelaide Advertising and Design Club said the city had become “the laughing stock of the Australian advertising industry” with accounts being serviced by eastern Australia. It called for local agencies to work with local clients. In response, TBWA\Adelaide was created.
There is mounting evidence to suggest that TBWA\Adelaide has been made non-operational.
The contact details and address for TBWA\Adelaide have been removed from the contact page on TBWA\Australia’s website, and calls made to the Adelaide branch are being redirected to Melbourne. However, the dedicated TBWA\Adelaide website is still live, with contact details available there.
TBWA\Australia’s contact page no longer lists Adelaide
When Mumbrella attempted to contact the TBWA\Adelaide office through the phone number listed on its dedicated website, the call was re-routed to the Melbourne reception desk, who told Mumbrella:
“The Adelaide office has recently shut down.”
TBWA\Adelaide and Melbourne’s chief executive officer, Kimberlee Wells, and chief creative officer, Paul Reardon, are also still listed on TBWA\Adelaide’s website. However, so is Joe Godsell, former managing director and partner, suggesting the page has not been updated in some time.
Godsell departed the agency last month, taking on a role at fellow Adelaide-based agency NATION Creative – one of the agencies on SATC’s roster – in a newly-created role of managing director and partner. He works closely with NATION’s existing partners Greg Knagge, Jo Fiedler and Nick Brz to lead the agency, as well as recently promoted director, Katheryn Korczak.
TBWA\Adelaide’s website still lists Godsell
Another former TBWA managing director, Tanya Vragalis, also recently announced a new job, after reportedly being made redundant earlier in the year. On Thursday morning, it was announced that she is returning to M&C Saatchi as its new managing director.
Despite this above evidence, notably Mumbrella being told by the Melbourne reception that Adelaide has in fact been shut down, a TBWA spokesperson told Mumbrella the Adelaide business is still operational and it is business-as-usual.
However, TBWA did not respond to Mumbrella’s request for clarification or provide an official comment.
TBWA\Adelaide also worked with a number of other local clients over the past five-and-a-half years, including National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia, Study Adelaide, and the University of Adelaide – which has recently merged with the University of South Australia.
Last year, the SATC appointed six local agencies in a panel model to deliver its ongoing creative thinking domestically and internationally. The agencies chosen were Frame Creative, Kojo Studios, Simple Integrated Marketing, Showpony, NATION Creative, and Fuller Brand Communications.
TBWA\Adelaide was not reappointed.
The agency panel has been responsible for SATC’s recent campaigns – including last year’s ‘Travel. Our Way.’ – led by Fuller in collaboration with Hollywood director and actor Mark Webber.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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Disorganised company, had to chase and chase payment.
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The pirate ship is facing stormy seas. After a tough award season, things are looking rough—missed projections, clients exploring other options, and a few crew members eyeing the lifeboats. It’s a challenging time ahead.
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Lots of recruiters are repping TBWA Melb staff looking to move. Not a great time to move but when you’re between a rock and a hard place you sometimes don’t have a choice. Lean in TBWA and keep your people!!
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What’s clear rn is that the agency landscape is in a really tough place.
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Lots of great people were at TBWA\Adelaide. But there was no leadership at all from what I heard.
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